Summary
- We strongly advise you not to travel to Chad at this time, and to reconsider your need to travel to the capital N’Djamena, due to risk of violence, kidnapping and high levels of serious crime and lawlessness.
- We advise you to reconsider your need to travel to the capital N’Djamena at this time due to the risk of indiscriminate violence and high levels of crime. If you do decide to travel to N’Djamena, you should exercise extreme caution.
- There is a risk of retaliatory attacks against government and Western targets in Chad following the French intervention in the conflict in Mali in January 2013.
- Police can carry out random checks of documentation. You should carry identification documents at all times. Failure to present identification may result in being detained.
- There are minefields along the borders with Libya, Sudan and Central African Republic and a high risk of violence in these areas. Borders may be closed with little or no warning. We strongly advise against travel to border areas with all neighbouring countries.
- You should avoid all large gatherings, protests and demonstrations as they may turn violent.
- We strongly recommend all Australians travelling to Chad register their travel and contact details with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, so we can contact you in an emergency.
- Australia does not have an Embassy or Consulate in Chad. The Australian Embassy in Paris provides consular assistance to Australians in Chad.
- Be a smart traveller. Before heading overseas:
- organise comprehensive travel insurance and check what circumstances and activities are not covered by your policy
- subscribe to this travel advice to receive free email updates each time it's reissued.
Entry and exit
Visa and other entry and exit conditions (such as currency, customs and quarantine regulations) change regularly. Contact the nearest Embassy or Consulate of Chad for the most up to date information. The closest Chadian embassy to Australia is located in Beijing, China (telephone: 0086 10 65321296).
A valid Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate is required for entry into Chad.
Chad is listed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as endemic for yellow fever. Some airlines may require passengers to present a valid Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate before being allowed to board flights out of the country. If in doubt, check with your airline.
If you have visited Chad in the last six days prior to your date of return to Australia, Australian Customs officials will ask you to present a valid Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate on entry into Australia.
Make sure your passport has at least six months' validity from your planned date of return to Australia. You should carry copies of a recent passport photo with you in case you need a replacement passport while overseas.
Safety and security
Terrorism
There is a risk of retaliatory attacks against government and Western targets in Chad following the French intervention in the conflict in Mali in January 2013. Such attacks could take place at any time at public locations frequented by Westerners, including hotels, restaurants, places of worship and shopping areas.
Terrorism is a threat throughout the world. You can find more information about this threat in our General Advice to Australian Travellers.
Civil unrest/political tension
We strongly advise you not to travel to Chad at this time, and to reconsider your need to travel to the capital N’Djamena, due to risk of violence, kidnapping and high levels of serious crime and lawlessness. We advise you to monitor the local media for possible new risks to your safety and security.
Fighting between Chadian government forces and armed groups can occur without warning throughout the country.
The security situation is particularly dangerous in border areas. Armed groups are active along the border with Libya, Sudan and Central African Republic and there is a high risk of violence in these areas..
There are a large number of displaced people throughout Chad. The large numbers of displaced people may lead to an increased strain on scare resources, increase in disease and an increased risk of crime.
You should avoid all large gatherings, protests and demonstrations as they may turn violent.
There is a risk of kidnapping in remote areas of Africa, including Chad. Humanitarian workers may be a target for kidnappers. For more information about kidnapping, see our Kidnapping Threat travel bulletin.
The Australian Government's longstanding policy is that it does not make payments or concessions to kidnappers. The Australian Government considers that paying a ransom increases the risk of further kidnappings, including of other Australians. If you do decide to travel to an area where there is a particular threat of kidnapping, you should ensure you have personal security measures in place, seek professional security advice and take out kidnapping insurance.
N’Djamena: We advise you to reconsider your need to travel to the capital N’Djamena at this time due to risk of indiscriminate violence and high levels of crime. Outbreaks of violence can occur with little warning and the security environment could deteriorate suddenly. We advise you to monitor the local media for possible risks to your safety and security.
Crime
There are high levels of serious crime in Chad. Violent attacks do occur. Petty crime, including pickpockets, occurs in market and commercial areas. The risk of being a victim of crime increases at night.
Banditry and carjacking is a risk across the country.
N’Djamena: We recommend you do not travel around N’Djamena at night, as the risk of being a victim of crime increases at night. We recommend that you avoid walking on the streets, even for short distances. Seek advice from hotel staff on using hire car operators.
Local security forces or people posing as them may attempt to exhort money from travellers through bogus fines or intimidation.
Money and valuables
Before you go, organise a variety of ways to access your money while in Chad. Credit cards and other electronic forms of accessing cash are generally not accepted in Chad. Only two hotels in N’Djamena and Air France accept credit cards or travellers’ cheques. There are few ATM machines in Chad. Euros and US dollars are accepted. Travellers carrying large amounts of cash are an attractive target for criminals.
The currency is the Central African CFA franc (XAF), also used in Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.
Make two photocopies of valuable documents such as your passport, tickets, visas and travellers' cheques. Keep one copy with you in a separate place to the original and leave another copy with someone at home.
If you are carrying significant amounts of cash, be extremely careful and, if possible, consider sharing the holding of it with your travelling companions. Remember that expensive watches and jewellery may be tempting targets for thieves.
As a sensible precaution against luggage tampering, including theft, lock your luggage. Information on luggage safety is available from Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority.
Your passport is a valuable document that is attractive to criminals who may try to use your identity to commit crimes. It should always be kept in a safe dry place. It is recommended you carry certified copies of your passport. You are required by Australian law to report a lost or stolen passport. If your passport is lost or stolen overseas, report it online or contact the nearest Australian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate as soon as possible, see below for contact details.
You are required to pay an additional fee to have a lost or stolen passport replaced. In some cases, the Government may also restrict the length of validity or type of replacement passports.
Local travel
We strongly advise you not to travel outside of the capital N’Djamena, due to risk of violence, kidnapping and high levels of serious crime and lawlessness.
Authorisation from the Ministry of Interior is required to travel outside of N’Djamena.
Local taxis can be unreliable and in a poor state of roadworthiness. We recommend that you hire a car with a driver from a reputable company. You should be aware that traffic incidents can provoke an aggressive response from the local community. Road travel is dangerous because of the presence of armed groups and bandits.
Roads in Chad are in a very poor condition, with large ruts and potholes, and have insufficient lighting making driving dangerous, especially at night. Other driving risks include dust storms, high speed, poorly maintained vehicles and high number of road users including pedestrians, animals and non-motorized vehicles. For further advice on road safety, see our bulletin on Overseas Road Safety.
The rainy season is June to September when flooding may occur and some roads become impassable.
There are large numbers of minefields along the border with Libya, Sudan and Central African Republic. You should not stray off of marked tracks.
Borders may be closed without warning.
Be aware that telecommunications systems outside of N’Djamena can be unreliable. Chadian authorities recommend travellers use satellite phone systems. These phone systems should be registered with local authorities.
Airline safety
Please refer to our travel bulletin for information about Aviation Safety and Security.
Laws
When you are in Chad, be aware that local laws and penalties, including ones that appear harsh by Australian standards, do apply to you. If you are arrested or jailed, the Australian Government will do what it can to help you but we can't get you out of trouble or out of jail.
Information on what Australian consular officers can and cannot do to help Australians in trouble overseas is available from the Consular Services Charter.
Local laws reflect the fact that Chad is a predominantly Muslim country. Common sense and discretion should be exercised in dress and behaviour. You should respect local religions and social traditions to avoid offending local sensitivities. Police checks are common and failure to produce identity documents can lead to detention.
Taking photographs of military zones, military assets, military or police personnel, airports and government buildings, is strictly prohibited. All other photography requires a government permit. Unauthorised photography may lead to the confiscation of cameras and film, as well as fines and/or detention.
A licence is required to buy or sell precious gems and there are heavy penalties for illegally exporting precious gems.
Homosexuality is not widely accepted in central African society and sexual acts between members of the same sex are illegal.
Penalties for the use and possession of drugs are severe.
Some Australian criminal laws, such as those relating to money laundering, bribery of foreign public officials, terrorism, child pornography, and child sex tourism, apply to Australians overseas. Australians who commit these offences while overseas may be prosecuted in Australia.
Australian authorities are committed to combating sexual exploitation of children by Australians overseas. Australians may be prosecuted at home under Australian child sex tourism and child pornography laws. These laws provide severe penalties of up to 25 years imprisonment for Australians who engage in child sexual exploitation while outside of Australia.
Information for dual nationals
Our Travel Information for Dual Nationals brochure provides further information.
Health issues
We strongly recommend that you take out comprehensive travel insurance that will cover any overseas medical costs, including medical evacuation, before you depart. Confirm that your insurance covers you for the whole time you'll be away and check what circumstances and activities are not included in your policy. Remember, regardless of how healthy and fit you are, if you can't afford travel insurance, you can't afford to travel. The Australian Government will not pay for a traveller's medical expenses overseas or medical evacuation costs.
Your doctor or travel clinic is the best source of information about preventive measures, immunisations (including booster doses of childhood vaccinations) and disease outbreaks overseas. The World Health Organization (WHO) provides information for travellers and our 'Travelling Well' brochure also provides useful tips for travelling with medicines and staying healthy while overseas.
The standard of medical facilities throughout Chad is extremely limited. Pharmaceuticals are in short supply and hygiene standards are poor. Doctors and hospitals generally require up-front payment before commencing treatment. In the event of illness or an accident, medical evacuation to a destination with the appropriate facilities would be necessary. Medical evacuation could cost over a hundred thousand dollars depending on circumstances.
Malaria occurs widely throughout the year in Chad. Other insect-borne diseases (including yellow fever, filariasis and African sleeping sickness) also occur. We encourage you to consider taking prophylaxis against malaria and taking measures to avoid insect bites, including using insect repellent at all times, wearing long, loose-fitting, light coloured clothing, and ensuring your accommodation is mosquito proof.
Outbreaks of poliomyelitis have occurred in Chad in 2012. All travellers to polio infected countries should ensure they have completed a primary course of polio vaccinations and a booster dose prior to travel. If you are unsure of your polio vaccination status, check with your doctor or travel clinic, at least eight weeks before you depart.
The country suffered a cholera outbreak in 2011 with over 10,000 reported cases and more than 300 deaths.
Water-borne, food-borne and other infectious diseases (including HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, typhoid, hepatitis, meningitis and rabies) are prevalent with more serious outbreaks occurring from time to time. We encourage you to consider having vaccinations before travelling. We recommend you boil all drinking water or drink bottled water, avoid ice cubes and raw and undercooked food. Do not swim in fresh water to avoid exposure to certain water-borne diseases such as bilharzia (schistosomiasis). Seek medical advice if you have a fever or are suffering from diarrhoea.
Where to get help
Australia does not have an Embassy or Consulate in Chad. You can obtain consular assistance from the Australian Embassy in Paris:
Australian Embassy, Paris
4 rue Jean Rey
Paris, France
Telephone: (33 1) 40 59 33 00
Facsimile: (33 1) 40 59 33 10
Email: consular.paris@dfat.gov.au
Website: http://www.france.embassy.gov.au/
If you are travelling to Chad, whatever the reason and however long you'll be there, we strongly recommend that you register with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. You can register online or in person at any Australian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate. The information you provide will help us to contact you in an emergency - whether it is a natural disaster, civil disturbance or a family issue.
In a consular emergency if you are unable to contact the above mission, you can contact the 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on +61 2 6261 3305 or 1300 555 135 within Australia.
In Australia, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Canberra may be contacted on (02) 6261 3305.
Additional information
Wildlife
Australians are advised to respect wildlife laws and to maintain a safe and legal distance when observing wildlife, including marine animals and birds. You should only use reputable and professional guides or tour operators and closely follow park regulations and wardens' advice.
For parents
For general information and tips on travelling with children see our Travelling Parents.